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Willem Markoos
'Willem Markoos '(October 1748 - August 17, 1802) was a wealthy Dutch merchant known for his involvement in the Coup of 1800. Biography Early life Markoos was born in Rotterdam, Netherlands to a very wealthy Dutch Markoos was just a young child, his family moved to Koningstad. When Markoos was around 13, he contracted smallpox during a hunting trip with his father, and barely survived. When Markoos was 16, his father enlisted him in the army, as Markoos's younger brother, Paul, was kidnapped by the French by the Franco-Brunanter War, and Markoos's father felt that Markoos was avenging his brother by joining the army. Markoos personally hated the army, and rebelliously left his regiment. Markoos's father was dead by then, so Markoos then pursued a career in trade, his true love. Before the InvasionCategory:Dead peopleCategory:BusinesspeopleCategory:1748 births Markoos was having mediocre success trading in Brunant, so he moved to Manchester, United Kingdom in 1770. In 1776, Markoos moved to Amsterdam after Britain had went to war with her rebellious colonies. There, he met his fifth cousin once removed Grushilda Marie ( 1746 - 1827 ), and in 1778, they married. Markoos then retired in 1782 with around 10,000 thalers in life savings, and moved back to Koningstad. The Invasion In 1784, British nobleman James Carrington invaded Brunant, which Markoos personally despised. He also despised Carrington as a person, as he felt the ambitious filibuster was "too ambitious" and "too cowardly to even negotiate". Markoos then started to talk with his colleagues and the King of Brunant, and felt that if they wanted Carrington out of Brunant, they needed a strategy. Markoos personally hired around 500 mercenaries led by notorious smuggler Paul Leeward, and promised them 5,000 thalers and women. Unfortunately, almost all of the men were killed at the Battle at Grijzestad, including Paul Leeward himself. The Coup of 1800 Markoos was considering moving out of Brunant when in 1796, King Adrian sent him a letter saying that quite a few native Brunanters hate Carrington, and if they could possibly bribe some noblemen, Carrington could possibly be arrested, or even executed for treason. Markoos was at first very reluctant, but when a group of women broke into a grain store and stole the bread later that year, Markoos was somewhat convinced that his fellow Brunanters still wanted justice and rights. So, Markoos first hired some assassins to kill Carrington in 1797, but the assassins backed out at the last second, almost betraying Markoos. So, Markoos then let the King just do the recruiting, and he'll just give some coffers to anyone willing to betray Carrington. But, in 1800, the King had found some personal guards of Carrington who were willing to arrest Carrington for a worthy sum. Markoos paid them their money, and the guards formally arrested Carrington just a month later. Since he was convinced that Carrington was either going to be executed or rot in prison for the rest of his life, Markoos formally announced his backing of Carrington's arrest on February 14, 1800, outside the Grijzestad Palace. However, luck was about to change for Markoos and King Adrian, as on February 16, 1800, in the early dawn, loyalists of Carrington stormed the Adriankastel and freed Carrington. Markoos didn't know this happened until around noon, when someone knocked on his door, demanding his arrest. Markoos looked through the peephole of his door, and saw around 50 people in front of his townhouse. He kissed his stepchildren and his wife, and quickly ran from his house, but was eventually captured just a few yards away from the docks of Grijzestad. He was then dragged and thrown into an old, extremely small, wet cell. Markoos constantly tried to escape during the course of his imprisonment, but was always captured and had a finger or toe chopped off every time he tried to escape, which he tried about 7 times. But, after his last escape attempt in August of 1802, Carrington got fed up with his constant attempts, and even believed it was one of the reasons his father got poisoned and died, so he ordered Markoos to be brought out to the same place he declared that he was part of the arrest of his father to be executed. Markoos's last words were, "Why do I must die this way?". Personal life Markoos was married to Grushilda Marie ( 1746 - 1827 ), but had no kids, since he was sterile from his smallpox infection. He did have 2 stepsons and 1 adopted son however: Arnoldt Gunthaar ( 1775 - 1843 ), Isaiah Ludwijk ( 1777 - 1832 ), and Marten Luther ( 1780 - 1851 ). Markoos was also a devout Lutheran Protestant, and also had severe diarrhea and influenza at the time of his death. Legacy Markoos is considered one of the first official political activists in Brunant who had no connection with the royal family, and was constantly drawn on anti-Nazi posters during the German occupation of Brunant as a symbol of perseverance and nationalism.